Do women get a fair deal with tradespeople/mechanics?

[martybabe]

I have experienced a bit of this over the years, however only after I was married because before that I only had old shitter cars that I always did my own fixing of or got my dad and bro to help me so never got fucked around. First experience I had was when I took Kendog's car in for a service to a place here in Welly and when I picked it up they were quite surprised that I a. wanted to see the job sheet and b. queried some of the things we had been charged for which they then tried to argue with me about ie. charging $10 to fill up the window washer fluid... I mean come on!!! I did my nut in the shop and basically told them they were rip off c*%ts and I'd never be back. I received a follow up service call from them about 3 weeks later asking if I was satisfied with my service and the chick on the other end of the phone was told to write down every word I said and to tell them to once again get fucked.
The interesting thing is Kendog said he'd never even looked at the job sheets before, just paid the bill and went on his merry way (sucker!)
That's just one experience, have had many more, but I have to say I've never really had a bad experience with motorcycle mechanics (yet), I've always been given the benefit of the doubt that I may know something about the machine I ride.
That was a big rant eh?

Excellent, the perfect attitude, I guess we're all guilty of shutting up and walking away, avoiding confrontation and all it's unpleasantness but it's theft and or disrespect, however minor, people taking money from you for pretend work/time is theft and treating you like something they just trod in is jolly bad form.

If I ever come back as a woman, I shall tell baby Jebus I wanna be just like Trudesbabe. Seriously, Enormous respect.

[Trudes]

Oh my Martybabe I'm all blushy!
And here I was thinking I was just a bolshy and mouthy bitch!!! (My hubby will tell you I am, but hey I save us money.)

[The Stranger:Me]

I hate injustice/prejudice

Ah, my knight in shining armour. I've had a few of them injustices lately, will flick you a PM so you can get started ta.

[MadDuck]

I dont think its just a 'wimmin' thing

Agreed. I have had my fair share of Trudes moments but I have heard stories of them that are not female being ripped just as easily due to lack of knowledge.

[martybabe]

Ah, my knight in shining armour. I've had a few of them injustices lately, will flick you a PM so you can get started ta.

Been fighting it all my life dude and to date I've achieved ,erm, counting that case in '85 and the trouble in 2002........absolutely bugger all! Still hate it though.

[ynot slow]

Similar situation with dad,they raise bull calves to a weight contract for extra dough.They get around and pick up maybe 4-5000 lts of colostrum maybe every 2nd or 3rd day,one cockie we stopped to pick up about 500lts said the tank over there and a plug point inside the door,we drove over lifted the lid and about 150ltrs of water was evident,we said to him how many litres in here,about 1/2 full and capacity is 1000ltr so charge ya 450ltr @20c ltr $90.00,I said less about $30 for water we'll give ya $50,he mumbled wankers so I inadvertedly left the tap on a fraction,next day he rang the old man ranting about losing several hundred ltrs going into a stream via drain and getting a repremand from local council for spillage.

[Ixion]

Mrs Ixion took her little Nissan Sunny into the local Midas , they had one of those 'oil change and filter for $19.99' or summit deals, and I don't do oil changes on cages.

She rang me up in a state, said 'The Midas people say my clutch is worn out and needs to be fixed right away , they say they can do it today , and it will cost about $800. Should I tell them to go ahead. Why is my clutch broken'.


Uh. That's a bit odd. Car's only done 50000k. Clutch usually lasts more than that. But I don't often drive it, could be I suppose. "Uh, ask them what they mean wornout, slipping or dragging? And ask if they've checked the hydraulic fluid " (Cos sometimes a seal can crap out and the fluid gets full of rubber chunder and bolluxes the pistons n stuff). Comes back "They say it's slipping, and they've checked the hydraulic fluid and it's all right. They say I need to get it fixed right away , because it's dangerous to drive like that".

At that point the warning bell went off, cos a slipping clutch is not a good thing, but not normally particularly dangerous. So "No, I want to look at it first, tell them you'll come back Monday" "but but but .. " " Just tell them".

Get home, take Sunny round the block. Hm, gotta admit, there is some clutch slip. Not much , but it is slipping. Guess they're right, bloody Nissan , can't make clutches.

Back to the gargre, I'll just double check that hydraulic fluid. Open the bonnet, now, where's the reservoir. Uh, where IS the reservoir. Not in any normal place. OK, I'll trace back the hydraulic line. Uh where is the hydraulic line? And what's this honking big cable? This cable, complete with adjusting nut? Hm. A wee adjustment later, road test, just like a new one.

Riigggghtt. Checked the hydraulic fluid did you? And what sort of mechanic wouldn't notice that honking big cable?

Went in on Monday. "Oh come to have the clutch fixed ". " Well, no, it's fixed - tell me, how did you check the hydraulic fluid?". Some argument later, and they were telling me that there was no such thing as a cable clutch! "they are all hydraulic , you must have meddled with something else, it could be very dangerous, we need to check it out". Piss off buddy.

Would they have tried it on me? Probably not. Would they have tried it on Cyril the accountant with the horn rim glasses? Probably.

[enigma51]

I give all women that want it a fair deal

You show me yours and i show you mine

[MadDuck]

I give all women that want it a fair deal

You show me yours and i show you mine

And I bet they all run the opposite direction laughing loudly........

[martybabe]

Mrs Ixion took her little Nissan Sunny into the local Midas , they had one of those 'oil change and filter for $19.99' or summit deals, and I don't do oil changes on cages.

She rang me up in a state, said 'The Midas people say my clutch is worn out and needs to be fixed right away , they say they can do it today , and it will cost about $800. Should I tell them to go ahead. Why is my clutch broken'.


Uh. That's a bit odd. Car's only done 50000k. Clutch usually lasts more than that. But I don't often drive it, could be I suppose. "Uh, ask them what they mean worn out, slipping or dragging? And ask if they've checked the hydraulic fluid " (Cos sometimes a seal can crap out and the fluid gets full of rubber chunder and bolluxes the pistons n stuff). Comes back "They say it's slipping, and they've checked the hydraulic fluid and it's all right. They say I need to get it fixed right away , because it's dangerous to drive like that".

At that point the warning bell went off, cos a slipping clutch is not a good thing, but not normally particularly dangerous. So "No, I want to look at it first, tell them you'll come back Monday" "but but but .. " " Just tell them".

Get home, take Sunny round the block. Hm, gotta admit, there is some clutch slip. Not much , but it is slipping. Guess they're right, bloody Nissan , can't make clutches.

Back to the garage, I'll just double check that hydraulic fluid. Open the bonnet, now, where's the reservoir. Uh, where IS the reservoir. Not in any normal place. OK, I'll trace back the hydraulic line. Uh where is the hydraulic line? And what's this honking big cable? This cable, complete with adjusting nut? Hm. A wee adjustment later, road test, just like a new one.

Right. Checked the hydraulic fluid did you? And what sort of mechanic wouldn't notice that honking big cable?

Went in on Monday. "Oh come to have the clutch fixed ". " Well, no, it's fixed - tell me, how did you check the hydraulic fluid?". Some argument later, and they were telling me that there was no such thing as a cable clutch! "they are all hydraulic , you must have meddled with something else, it could be very dangerous, we need to check it out". Piss off buddy.

Would they have tried it on me? Probably not. Would they have tried it on Cyril the accountant with the horn rim glasses? Probably.

Perfect example, thanks mate. So without recourse to your good self it sounds like Mrs Ixion would have took the bait and had the Dangerous fault fixed and gone home poorer but none the wiser. That just stinks, I fail to see any difference between that and helping themselves to $xxx out of your wife's purse when her back was turned. Robbing Gits

[gatch]

cunts, that pisses me off, i know a couple o tradesman that would only be too happy to rob some fem blind if they couldnt get a root from them for doing some stupidly easy job that they made sound inextricably complicated..

its disgusting..

p.s im a fitter turner, only charge $200/hr for a perk job, best rates in town

[candor]

Its not a sex thing - guys who don't know their stuff get ripped too.

Also there is a lot of insane misuse and home cures that lead to idiots trying to claim on warranty. Some almost unbelievable like a lady who lately called a m8 to repair washing machine 3 x.

1. Taps not on - her excuse - how can I be expected to know they need the water ON. Wasn't charged as pity was taken.
2. Rings with out of balance issue - cure explained. Idiot instead goes into control panel and twists and disconnects wires so no go, so calls - m8 again goes out to fix. Says she really ought be charged but he won't - her reply - but its your fault, two breakdowns. Not even.
3. She calls a day or two later with another complaint no go. M8 goes there and it's a different machine! She denies this but has removed the serial number. She has clearly pawned her warranted one, substituted with her old one and is trying to get the WINZ provided money back. Tui!

But re mechanics and sex - some willl try it on anyone who has no clue. Accidentally went to not my regular (whos a neighbour) lately, as mine booked up. The one who wasn't and did my WOF went nuts on it, even requiring 2 perfectly good tyres to go. And diagnosed non existent engine probs to tune of more than car bought for.

My eyerolling mechanics comment - was he busy? And a male teen I know who just bought a merc thru "make a wish" - mechanics diagnosed some thing or another and said $1500. Again checked by a work mate in the know and the truth was around $150, Meanwhile the guy had been trying to save 1500 from his low wage job and off road. Some people just aren't ethical - or believe make hay...

[Pedrostt500]

I advise some of my less mechanicaly inclined friends the the best policy is to ask around their local area about who to use, and what peoples impresions are on the local companies, once you have found a good company, try to stick with them, this helps to build a good working relationship with that company.
Dont be scared to ask for a cost break down of a bill or quote, for major work try to get at least 3 quotes, this will give you a good ball park idea of the cost to you of a job, the cheapest quote is not always the best quote, keep track of variations that you ask for on top of a quote.

[Little Miss Trouble]

Yes, PIT STOP in Tauranga, Don't go there, they saw my ex coming a mile away, she had her car serviced and they charged $300 for changing brake pads, no machining of the discs, just a pad swap, and there was nothing wrong with them.......I went in after finding out and talked to the dick head in charge- who could offer no logical reason as to why it was such an obtuse price, asked to see the old pads and he showed me some worn right down so there was nothing left......there was no way these were the same pads, i'd driven it a couple of days before and they were fine. Needless to say I only ended up paying for the price of the pads when fair go was mentioned............

Must be a PitStop policy to rip people off!
I took my car to PitripoffbastardsStop in Johnsonville for a service and about 2 weeks later it started making this awful knocking noise which I thought was the tappets, hubby took it back and was informed it wouldn't be tappets as the car is too modern to have tappets (snigger snigger I'm sure) and that it could be the pushers which would be costly to fix. Anyway I was stuffing about under the bonnet and decided to check the oil and low and behold there was NONE! No wonder the poor bloody thing was making terrible noises. It hadn't leaked, it wasn't burning it and 2 weeks after a service makes me think that they hadn't filled it up, charged me for it though. Wankers!! So I filled it with oil and look, no more knocking noise!! Surfice to say, I won't be back there again. I guess, if you want a job done properly, do it yourself!!

Hmm, strange, the guys at Pit Stop Albany have always taken good care of me. Head mechanic used to ride an R1

[Trudes]

Hmm, strange, the guys at Pit Stop Albany have always taken good care of me. Head mechanic used to ride an R1

I used to say that too about the one I used to go to, got my car serviced there for the past five years and my van too since we bought it, but after this last ordeal and a few other dodgy things that have apparently "needed" to be done which seemed unnecessary to me I've decided that customer loyalty means dick to them and they can shove it up their arses. And they had the cheek to charge me $10 for a courtesy car for half a day that had no petrol in the tank!